Ferretoness
by Radiant-Nightfall


"Meek!" Dai gave a startled squeak as her cage-mate fell from her sling down onto hers. Unfortunately right on the midnight's head. "Tak."  
  
"Yes?" The chestnut grinned down on her, dancing on her stomach, grinning insanely.  
  
"Get down, Tak." The albino leapt nimbly down from the top level of the spacious 3-level cage.  
  
Tak sighed and whimpered, rolling lazily off of Dai. "Party pooper! . Ack!" She was sent sprawling with the albino, Zen, latched to her.  
  
The cloth that covered the cage lifted, latched opened, and a hand scooped the 3 out.  
  
"Knock it off you guys!" The spiky blue-haired man spoke and ruffled the brown and whites fur. Dai scurried up Zach's shoulder as he set the other two down on the floor. Zach always had been a bit fonder of Dai. She rested on his shoulder as he went about with his morning routine. He'd chatter away to her, and, occasionally, she'd return with an understanding grunt.  
  
Mages of the 1920's were so predictable. The 3 magic-users were caught stealing important papers that later be used to blackmail them. Ho hum. So there the 3 were, traded off and on to different owners for the past hundred years. Well, most the time they escaped and were caught again, sold in countless pet stores. Man, the economy was making good pay off of 3 ferrets! Finally, they ended up with a person who, although young, gave them a roomy cage, kick-ass food, and didn't give them stupid names like "Snowy", "Blackie", and "Brownie" Dai couldn't help admit, he was pretty cute too. But it didn't matter. Soon enough he would pass them on to a new owner. Maybe. They hoped not, he was a hell of a lot better than a 12-year- old girl who wasn't responsible and forgot to feed them everyday.  
  
Zach sighed and Dai came back to attention. "You know, Dai, Rema's birthday is coming up soon." Zach's family and friends were always constantly setting him up with anyone his age. Luckily, he was creative with coming up with excuses. He groaned under his breath. "She'll be 21. She'll be my age. And, of course, I'll be expected to go to her party tonight." Dai fought the urge to shake her head. Not that she wasn't nice; after all, according to Tak, she was a master of the behind-the-ear scratch. But Zach, quite frankly, didn't like her that way, and Rema was just interested in him as a friend. Actually, he didn't like anyone in that way. He was more interested in his friends and having fun than dating at the moment. "Why cant people just lay off and let me find the person I want?" He asked softly as he lowered one arm to the bed, and Dai slipped down onto the bed and sat watching. The human went over to his work on the dresser. "I mean. When I meet the girl I want to be with, I'll know"  
  
Dai inwardly "tsked" // Sure you will. That's what they all say, love at first sight. It's a nice thought. //  
  
"Well, aren't we noisy this morning," Zach said, giving her a slight smile as he whipped around and grabbed a box of Trix. Rooting around, he plucked out a few pieces and held one out. Dai turned her nose up at it. Only two days prior she'd seen that obnoxious commercial where the poor animated rabbit - supplier of Trix to children - was denied the very treat that he brought to the ungrateful little brats. Injustice in animated television commercials is a harsh and pitiful thing.  
  
"C'mon, sweetie. I know you like the red ones best."  
  
But then...a cooing Zach was a hard thing to ignore.  
  
Ebony eyes turned and met Zach's wide dark ones. If Dai could have blushed, she would have. Not that she was the sort to blush! Carefully, she clamped delicate teeth around the cereal and Zach beamed at her.  
  
"There! That wasn't so hard, was it?"  
  
Dai fought the urge to shake her head. It was obnoxiously hard not to respond to this particular human, but spending the rest of her life as a lab specimen starring in Discovery Channel documentaries with gorillas who knew sign language and card reading parrots wasn't her idea of a great career. Besides, if she were carted off, she'd be taken away from Zach. Not that the thought bothered her or anything.  
  
Zach continued to chatter away and Dai listened, pacing the length of the bed, eyeing the floor (and judging the jump not worth it) and occasionally stealing a sip from Zach's coke when the boy's back was turned.  
  
"Oh well," He sighed as he finished up breakfast. "I suppose I'll find somebody." He smiled at Dai again, plucked her up, and carried her to the other side of the room. Tak and Zen glanced up--Zen was, as usual, climbing anything in sight while Tak was perusing comic book titles while appearing to be wandering aimlessly. The chestnut chirped a greeting and Zach scratched carefully behind her tiny ears.  
  
"I've got to get going, guys," he said apologetically as he fought valiantly to ignore Tak's Ferret Chibi Eyes of Capture. "I promise I'll give you all a really long run later."  
  
Tak pouted. Zen 'wandered' over to her side and just stood by her, not quite touching. Zach patted them all one more time and closed the door, covering the cage again so they'd go to sleep.  
  
Dai was brooding.  
  
For all that Dai was not given to noticing the attractiveness of spiky- haired singers, enjoying being chattered at for an hour every morning, or finding the relationship between her life-long companions charming, she was given to brooding. She was, in fact, quite accomplished at it, having practiced the art of brooding for at least the last forty-six years. Zen and Tak, quite used to Dai's brooding whatever the cause, had piled up in the upper hammock and zonked out, figuring they may as well get some sleep while they could. This suited Dai just fine. She didn't want to talk about it.  
  
Dai was brooding over Zach.  
  
The spiky-haired, wild-natured boy had obviously been upset that morning over his inability to find a date that he actually wanted to date. In the end, Zach had decided to go to the dance dateless after all instead of getting into a date with someone he didn't care to know. Zach was a believer in love at first sight; the fairy tale that a more rational Dai knew wasn't quite possible. Oh, there was attraction at first sight, but love? No. You had to know a person in order to love him. After all, Dai had found Zach strange and slow when they first came to live here, and now she was quite fond of--  
  
Whoa. Reverse gears. New train of thought.  
  
After all...Dai was cursed for five hundred years, give or take. And Zach, no matter how full of life he was, how singular, wasn't going to be able to live that long. It was a sobering thought and Dai shook her head quickly. The girl had learned her lesson about love while still human...  
  
Hmm. Not a thought for today.  
  
A faint crash interrupted her. Dai's head shot up, dark eyes widening. The first crash was echoed by another. The midnight ferret scowled, slipping from her hammock and hearing Zen and Tak do the same above her. Together, the three of them crossed soundlessly to the door of their cage and easily opened it, three small, pointed faces peeking around the wire door at once.  
  
There was a soft light coming from the bathroom, and a low voice cursed softly as a third, tiny crash was heard.  
  
Dai, Tak, and Zen cringed. They decided as one that they might as well just stay where they were for now. If the burglar didn't kill himself trying to walk through Zach's room in low lighting, they could just...um...barge out and, er.bite his ankles. Or something. They didn't have to worry, though, as a person walked in view.  
  
A person with black hair and strange multicolored eyes, about Zach's age dressed in. a white loincloth. The said person also just happened to emanate a faint white glow and have translucent wings fluttering behind his back.  
  
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," whispered Tak.  
  
"You noticed?" was Dai's dry reply. Zen nonchalantly stepped on the sable's foot. "Oi!"  
  
"SHHHH!"  
  
"There you are." The glow intensified and the boy stepped closer, waving his hand. The blanket over their cage disappeared and left the three of them visible, still peeking around the door. "'Thought I'd never find you. Could've killed myself walking the length of this room." His voice was flat and somewhat dispassionate, not really the way one would expect a white- clad, glowing winged person to be. "Come 'ere. I don't got all day."  
  
The three ferrets exchanged a glance and walked out, sitting in a row in front of the bizarre winged person who had come into their home. Upon closer inspection it was easy to see that the boy's hair, green-looking skin, and clothes were lightly dusted with silver glitter. One would think that would indicate a jolly person, but this guy was hardly the 'ho ho ho' type. More like the 'Hail Satan' type. Not that the green teeth added to the effect. (No, not at all! ^_^)  
  
"Umm...can we help you?" Tak asked, rightly assuming that winged silver- dusted light-shining people could understand enchanted ferret talk.  
  
"No. But I can help you. Unfortunately."  
  
Something about the way he said 'unfortunately' made Dai want to shiver. But, the ever-polite Dai couldn't help but  
  
say,  
  
"And what can you do? Give us wings so we can be classified as a new species?"  
  
"Dai!" Tak whispered loudly. "Be nice!"  
  
Dai rolled her eyes and Zen gave her 'The Expressionless Look Of Doom'. Dai sighed and shut up.  
  
"How can you help us?" Tak asked politely, whiskers twitching in an unbearably adorable fashion. The boy was unmoved.  
  
"It's come to the attention of the Society For the Prevention of Discontent Among Magic-Endowed Persons, a representative group of wizards, witches, leprechauns, faeriefolk and the like, that the three of you were magicked while attempting to uncover a wizard-based plot to take over the world.or somthin' like that. As this plot was later uncovered by a young witch, your problem was placed on the bottom of the 'important cases' pile. That, and the unusual number of curses caused that year." The boy paused for his first breath in the flatly recited information and Dai bristled.  
  
"The bottom of the pile! We've been cursed for a hundred fucking years!!"  
  
"Dai!! Would you be quiet! He's probably here to help and you're ticking him off!" The winged boy came dangerously close to smirking.  
  
"Tak's got a point...Snoopy Doodle."  
  
Dai's eyes grew huge and she very nearly leapt forward to-er-bite at the stranger's ears off, but Zen was sitting on her tail. She glared death at the white ferret as the winged frea--um, stranger, cleared his throat and continued. "As I was saying, before you blokes interrupted. Your file recently came to the attention of the Society and they declared that a way to break the curse-- without stepping outside the bounds of fairy law as established by the Brothers Grimm Pact of 1922, naturally--had to be found. To that end, the Coalition of FairyGodPersons, Inc, was contacted and a fairy godperson dispatched. So, I'm your fairy godperson, here to tell you the rules that've been made for you to break the curse."  
  
Three ferrets blinked, exchanged glances, and looked back at him. "You're a fairy godperson?" they all asked in unison.  
  
The boy looked straight back.  
  
"Yeah. Me name's Murdoc. You got a problem with that?"  
  
"Um...no?"  
  
"Fine. Here's the rules. You," he pointed at Dai, "come here."  
  
Dai meeped and looked as though she going to turn tail and vamoose when she was indelicately shoved from behind. "W-w-what?" she quivered.  
  
"You are the central figure. In traditional fairy tale fashion, you must take human form for a limited amount of time for three nights. In that time you must gain the love of the person you love."  
  
Dai paled.well, she would have paled, but the complications of being of the four-legged persuasion got in the way.  
  
"I'm not in love with anyone!"  
  
"Do not lie to your fairy godperson. It does not make me happy." There was a gleam in Murdoc's eye that Dai didn't like at all and.grudgingly...she nodded. Tak was staring at her with wide light green eyes.  
  
"Dai's in love with someone?"  
  
Dai wanted to disappear. Really, she did. Love was a terribly private thing that she wasn't quite ready to admit to yet. Zen appeared to take pity on her and said quietly, "That's Dai's affair." He ended up on the wrong end of Tak's Ferret Chibi Eyes of Poutiness, but remained unscathed. After a moment of no success, Tak crossed her arms in defeat.   
  
"Actually, it's your problem too," Murdoc said calmly. "'Cause if she doesn't get Z-" Dai glared at him "Right...if she doesn't get the person she loves to love her back in the next three days, all three of you are ferrets for the next five-hundred years."  
  
Tak's eyes suddenly lost all trace of his gentle nature. She whirled, bared sharp teeth at Dai, and said, "You heard the man! Get moving!"  
  
"Eep!" Dai took a step back. An angry Tak was a very, very, very, very, very, very (methinks you get the idea), very scary thing. "What am I supposed to do?!" she whimpered. "I happen to be a two pound pet!"  
  
"I'll take care of that," Murdoc said evenly. "You'll start tonight by going to the dance. You have until two AM. Then you'll be spirited back here and become a ferret again."  
  
Tak blinked. "Shouldn't that be midnight?" she asked curiously.  
  
Murdoc looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "This is the twenty-first century. Nothing happens before midnight anymore."  
  
"Oh. That makes sense."  
  
"Naturally." Murdoc waved a hand in disinterest and where a small sable ferret had been sitting moments before there was now a girl, appearing around twenty-one years old, with short black hair and large dark eyes. It might also be noted the girl was...au naturale.  
  
"ACK!" Dai curled up, glaring out at the world. "Clothes!"  
  
"Oh. I forgot." Another wave and Dai was dressed in all black, alternative style clothing. Dai turned around in circles admiring the new clothes. A black shirt with a red star on the front and baggy black and white camie pants, complete with a pair of high top black Chuck Taylors.  
  
"Zach's gonna love you, kid! But why is it all black?" Zen asked merrily. Tak looked at him in surprise.  
  
"Well, that's too bad, because black is my specialty. Feel lucky. You could have gotten Dorothy. She does pink," was Murdoc's even reply.  
  
"Zach?" Tak asked as Murdoc spoke.  
  
"Who else do we know, Tak?" Zen asked sensibly.  
  
"I-uh-he-Dai-!" Tak stuttered, on the verge of weeping on the account of total mental incomprehension.  
  
Dai was fighting the urge to turn bright red, Tak was counting her fingers and toes and pulling out bit of brown hair, trying to make her mind 'work' again, Zen was looking ever-so-slightly amused at Tak's shock and Murdoc-- Murdoc was sending Dai to the dance.  
  
Zach was bored.  
  
Bored. Bo-red. Booooooooooooooored. Bored. Board? Bored. Give me a gun and turn away bored.  
  
This dance as just like all the others he'd had to go to: very high society, very pastel, and generally uninteresting. Beside him, Russel looked no happier than he was. In fact, the only entertainment they had managed to muster up that evening was centered on a local tabloid reporter that tried to get in and was carted off by bodyguards after he started screaming that the Gorillaz were alien invaders from Mars.   
  
"What time is it, Z?" Russ asked.  
  
"My watch says 11:29." Zach sighed, taking out a Twizzler he had snuck into the party because of his intense hatred of tiny sandwiches. They gave him migraines from some strange odd reason. Russ shook his head.   
  
They went back to staring at the crowd, glassy eyed. Same old, same old. Same people as always... Until someone new walked in.  
  
Dark sloe eyes darted shyly around the room from a heart-shaped face, pale skin practically glowing in the low lighting. Moving gracefully through the room, the newcomer appeared to be looking for someone. In her hand she still held the gold-stepped invitation that was the only way into the party. Zach stared, mouth ever-so-slightly ajar.  
  
Russel glanced from the newcomer, back to Zach, back to the newcomer again. He elbowed Zach in the side and asked,  
  
"You know that chick?"  
  
"No."  
  
Zach beamed.  
  
"I fink I'll go introduce myself." he announced to the world at large, practically bouncing out of his seat at the thought of some break in the monotony.  
  
Russ blinked at the now empty chair beside him. "I hate to see you being so shy, Zach," he murmured with light humor. "It's about time you found yourself a girl."  
  
Dai hated parties. She'd hated parties before she was cursed; much less these bright, loud, flashy affairs people had become so fond of in the last half a century. And she felt terribly conspicuous, as it was obvious people were wondering who she was. Zach had explained to her in his early morning chattings that everyone knew everyone at these affairs because it was always the same people over and over. Dai had barely managed to get in despite having an invitation. There had been a suspicious puff of silver dust, however, and the doorman had decided to let her pass. Convenient, this fairy godperson business. Of course, now the problem presented itself that she couldn't find Zach anywhere. Everything seemed abnormally small and crowded and she couldn't... well, scent, Zach as she was accustomed to. She was also having trouble readjusting to how bright everything was through superior human eyes. She blinked as a couple danced by seemingly inches in front of her nose. //Well, at least I don't have to worry about being crushed by someone with careless feet--//  
  
"Hello!"  
  
Dai jumped in surprise, whirling around and nearly losing her balance. //%^&* being used to four feet!// she cursed inwardly - then her eyes widened. A warm (if manic) grin and gorgeous dark eyes...//I won't blush. I won't blush. Why? Because I do not blush. I do not blush--! //  
  
"Hi," Zach said again, still smiling, a hand held out in invitation. "I'm Zach. Nice to meet you."  
  
Dai blinked. "I know." //Wonderful, Dai. You finally get to say something other than "chirp!" after three months and all you can say is 'I know'! Moron!//  
  
"Oh." Zach watched her a moment, a little unsure. "And you are?"  
  
"Um...Dai." Cautiously, she took Zach's hand.  
  
Zach was taller than her! Zach's handshake was firm and warm, and that hundred-watt smile was turned on Dai just like she was used to.  
  
Dai paused, breathed deep...and smiled.  
  
".Ghost train.come on, come on, come on.." Zach sang along with the music, tapping his foot, not even bothering to look like he wasn't staking out the women's restroom, sporting a huge, silly grin on his face. Dai was funny and intense, with a sweet, even voice that the lead singer couldn't get enough of. Mmm.Dai.  
  
Dai reappeared and grinned at him, taking the boy's offered hand and grinning hugely when he offered her a small smile of contentment. The look in the girl's chocolate brown eyes made his heart flutter. Zach couldn't shake the feeling that Dai knew him and that he, in a way, knew Dai. Weird stuff. But Zach liked weird. Weird is good. Dai tugged him in the direction of the complimentary food and drink.  
  
"You want something to drink?"  
  
"No alcohol." Zach had no particular desire to pickle his brain. He figured he didn't have too terribly many brain cells to spare.  
  
"That's a terrible thing to say."  
  
Zach jumped--he hadn't realized he'd been thinking aloud. "Huh?"  
  
"You're an extremely intelligent person," Dai said seriously, voice lightly admonishing. "You shouldn't put yourself down."  
  
Zach stared at her and, amazingly, blushed, slow heat spreading across his cheeks. "Da-"  
  
"What time is it?" Dai suddenly pulled away, raising Zach's arm so she could look at the boy's wrist. Something akin to panic crossed her face and she yelped, "I've got to go!"  
  
Zach frowned, disappointment flooding into his system.  
  
"It's only two AM," he protested softly, brow furring in confusion. "The dance doesn't end till dawn." // Please don't go! // he begged silently.  
  
"I know...but I have to go. I'm sorry!" Dai turned, heart pounding. She had a minute to get somewhere private so she wouldn't disappear there in front of everyone. Zach was on her heels but Dai was faster, managing to duck around a bare corner and behind a huge potted palm before she disappeared in a puff of silver dust.  
  
Zach tore around the corner and stared at the empty hallway. "What?" he asked the ceiling. "I don't even get a damn shoe?"  
  
Dai shook out her fur and blinked - only to be accosted by a hyper Tak. "Did it work?! Is he in love with you?! Are-"  
  
"Tak...let Dai breath."  
  
"Oh...sorry..." Tak muttered as she stepped off Dai's back and tried to ignore the fact that the black ferret was wheezing from having a ferret tap dance on her chest. "So...how did it go?"  
  
Dai turned her face and said, softly, her voice full of quite sorrow. "I don't know, Tak. Okay? I have two more days."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Tak."  
  
Tak glanced over at her boyfriend and sighed. "Sorry, Dai."  
  
"It's okay," Dai said softly, curling up in a ball, tail tucked under her nose. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" Tak recognized the dark ferret's tone, and gave her friend hug and an affectionate pat on the head.  
  
"...Thank you."  
  
"Mm-huh." Tak said before hopping into her hammock.   
  
"Get up! I'm not spending all day one mission because you bloody dullards!"  
  
Dai had been enjoying a Very Nice Dream *purr* involving Zach, a broken curse, and a tub of caramel syrup when her fairy  
  
godperson (AKA Mr. Congeniality, 1963)'s nasal voice popped her lovely little bubble and welcomed her to the wide and wonderful land of reality. "Fuck off, Murdoc."  
  
"Dai, be nice."  
  
*Sigh* Dai pulled herself out of bed, stretching hugely before meandering to the center of the living room floor where Dai stood waiting grumpily, the occasional silver sparkle drifting to the carpet and disappearing in a vanilla-scented puff.  
  
"Yes?" Dai asked grouchily. She was tired. She hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night, because she had been waiting for Zach to get in, that didn't happen until five in the morning. Then Zach had been up at nine and had insisted the three of them wake up for their morning run - but he hadn't carted Dai around as he usually did. He seemed quiet and unusually distant, perhaps a little sad. Dai was worried about the spiky-haired human and she felt just a *little* guilty. Or jealous, just in case someone *else* was the cause of Zach's melancholy. Either way, Dai wasn't happy with her current confusing emotional state. Then, when she had *finally* managed to nod off, a barrage of rather *ahem* interesting dreams had kept her from sleeping soundly. And to top it all off, she had an itch right above her left hind leg, which was a real pain in the klodney to get to.  
  
"About time. Hurry. You're going to be late for your date," Murdoc said shortly, gossamer wings quivering a bit in agitation. So many missions, so little time! Being immortal was such a drag.  
  
"Date?" Dai asked, yawning.  
  
"Yes. You wrote Zach a letter and the two of you are going to meet at nine o'clock at a movie premiere. It's already past eight."  
  
"I did?"  
  
"No, the bloody duchess of everything scented and queen of little plaid thrumuses! OF *COURSE* YOU DID! I hope your handwriting has improved in the last hundred years. I had to forge that letter from a hundred-twenty-two year old piece of paper and your writing was horrendous," Murdoc said irritably.  
  
"How could your handwriting have improved?" Tak whispered, looking at her tiny paws.  
  
"Don't ask," Dai replied, then she was surrounded by silver dust and *poof* instant bishonen (just add fairy dust - - Only $19.95 at your local Ryu- Mart, buy yours today!).  
  
"She can't wear what she wore last time," Tak pointed out, overly sweet. Murdoc waved again and Dai was dressed in a beautiful shimmery cocktail dress. It was black, naturally.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
"Well, no, what do I-"  
  
*POOF* *sparkle sparkle*  
  
....  
  
"I guess she *was* ready," Tak snickered.  
  
Zen chuckled. "Yep."  
  
Zach fell asleep at the world premiere showing of *My Heart By Midnight*.  
  
He'd been thrilled when Dai appeared from the crowd, invitation in hand, looking absolutely delicious all in a black dress that fitted her curves just so. The girl had smiled at him almost shyly and murmured a greeting. Zach squeezed her hand slightly, giving her a smile, which she returned..  
  
They'd talked easily until the film started about this and that, then sat back to watch. It wasn't exactly the world's most exciting movie (must be Oscar material, then) and he was tired. After all, he'd spent three hours the night before trying to get information on his mysterious companion after Dai had disappeared, then he'd spent all morning worrying over the fact that no one had a clue who Dai was. It was cool in a way, being a mystery, but he hadn't relaxed until he'd gotten the note from Dai (in truly horrible handwriting that had taken him close to thirty minutes to completely decipher) apologizing for her abrupt exit and saying she hoped to see Zach at the premiere. Of course, the dreams during his morning nap hadn't helped *blush* Slowly, his head listed to the side, ending up on Dai's bare shoulder as he slipped into sleep.  
  
Dai nearly jumped out of her skin when Zach's head met her shoulder...she blushed bright red when Zach curled in his seat, one arm slung across Dai's waist and his face half-buried in her neck.  
  
Unfortunately, he was too darn cute to push away.  
  
Ooooooh the burdens we must bear. ^_^.   
  
Dai watched the rest of the movie absently playing with Zach's hair.  
  
No one was quite sure what to make of Zach's good mood the next day. Zach hummed in the hallways and grinned non-stop. It was almost like an old black and white movie, and Zach was almost a like a man in love.  
  
Tak and Zen watched Dai sleep. That was as far as they got. Apparently the stress of changing back and forth from her cursed form to her natural one was a strain and she had to rest every extra minute.  
  
Tonight was her last chance.  
  
//"You understand the rules. You have to get a kiss--a real one, no bloody pecks on the cheek--and a declaration of love before two am tomorrow morning. Usually a kiss would've been enough but since you're acting for three, this is a special case. If you accomplish your mission, you all return to human form. If you don't, you remain ferrets for the next three- hundred and eighty years."//  
  
//At least a 'good luck' would have been nice// Dai thought moodily as she stood outside a small café where Zach had said to meet him. She was dressed casually in jean and a long-sleeved shirt (three guesses on the color and the first two don't count).  
  
She was horribly nervous. After all, more than just four hundred years of ferretude was on the line here (not saying that's not a lot, especially since Tak and Zen would never let her live it down, though the former would always remind him of her  
  
failure *politely* and the latter would just LOOK at him), but Dai's heart was too. Because she had *finally* admitted it to herself.  
  
Dai was in love with Zach.  
  
Lovable, crazed, secretly lonely, easily confused, headache muddled Zach who took care of his pets and adored his friends and believed in love at first sight. And tonight was Dai's last chance to tell him. That was her real concern, just making sure Zach *knew*. Whether Zach loved her back or not was immaterial.  
  
//Sure, Dai. And here comes the flying pig, here to entertain us at bank machines and automated gas pumps.//  
  
Zach walked in.  
  
Dai stared.  
  
Zach was in jeans and a dark blue jacket. As soon as he caught sight of Dai, a smile spread across his face. Dai's heart beat faster, her palms actually felt sweaty, and her head was spinning. (Girl's got it *BAD*! No dur.) " Zach, I-" //Just say it, get it over with, it's easy, plain and simple, three little words// "'m Glad you came!" //or four. The incorrect four, but better than "I know".... //  
  
Zach looked surprised a moment, then smiled. "Thanks, Dai, I'm glad you're here, too." he said, reaching out and hugging Dai, and hesitated a moment before kissing her check.  
  
~*  
  
Dai checked the watch Murdoc had thankfully included with her latest outfit. //1:52 am. Shit. I'm almost out of time.//  
  
She glanced up at Zach. She was snuggled against his side, his arm possessively wrapped around her waist. He was sound asleep. She didn't know what possessed the other boy to stay up all hours of the night if all he did was fall asleep. Not that she was complaining about having a warm length of Zach pressed against her side, but she was almost out of time and from the café to the movie to the park Dai hadn't been able to say what she'd needed to say. She just lost herself in listening to Zach talk or sing and it slipped her mind.  
  
//Sure. Coward. You don't want to say it because he won't say it back. You don't believe in love at first sight, but he does, so if he doesn't at least think he loves you by now then he's not going to. //  
  
//Life is not fair. //  
  
" Zach?" Dai poked the sleeping boy, eliciting a mumbled response, and tightened brow and snuggle more close to her (if that was possible). Smiling softly, she poked the sleeping boy a second time, and this time his eyes fluttered open, black in the low light from the streetlamps.  
  
"Hmm? Wot?"  
  
"I need to go, Zach. It's late."  
  
Zach blinked sleepily. "Oh...yeah. I'll see you tomorrow?"  
  
Dai swallowed, reaching out and brushing long bangs from the coal eyes. "No...no, I can't come back tomorrow."  
  
Zach frowned, straightening up, loosing his grip around Dai's waist.  
  
"Why not?" he asked almost belligerently. He was poised for hurt now. This was why he never committed to anything, why he hadn't told this slightly cynical, mysterious, bizarre, absolutely beautiful, opinionated girl that she was the *one*. Because everybody left eventually. Everybody. Zach was destined to be alone.  
  
"Because..." Dai glanced at her watch.  
  
1:58. Not enough time. Not enough time to explain. So, Dai just reached out, touching her fingers to the other boy's face and forcing Zach to look her straight in the eyes.  
  
"Z.I want you to know the last three months have been the best of my life."  
  
Zach frowned, confused. "Um...that's nice, Dai." //Shouldn't that be the last three *nights*.? // Those ebon-black eyes were boring into him, still so strangely familiar, that look in their depths.  
  
"I'm glad I got a chance to know you, Z. I'm glad I..."  
  
"Um...Dai...you know, you can drop by my place anytime." Poor Zach. Now he was thoroughly confused, and fairly convinced that his Love at First Sight (who happened to also be a great conversationalist, a huge plus) had a few screws loose. But that was okay. Zach could appreciate that in a person.  
  
"No I can't," Dai murmured. She leaned close and planted a small kiss on Zach's lips. The spiky-haired boy's mouth fell open in delighted shock. "I love you."  
  
"Dai...you can."  
  
"No, Zach. I'm...just a pet."  
  
*POOF*  
  
*ACHOO!!*  
  
Zach had silver dust up his nose and there was the sickening-sweet smell of too much vanilla Glade plug-in in the air. *achoo!* *achoo!* And any dramatic tension was ruined.  
  
"Wait a second! --" *achoo!*--I know where I've--" *CHOO* "--seen those eyes! And my whole bloody--" *waka-choo* "--room has smelled like vanilla for the last three--" *AAAAAAAA-false alarm* "--days!"  
  
Zach took off like a bat out of...er.the dugout. *tiddy-boom*  
  
Dai winced and scuttled back, knowing that a very upset Tak was incoming - then blinked.  
  
No fur, no sharp canines, no paws, no tail. Something was definitely odd here. She glanced up-and saw Murdoc, very annoyed, with a ferret on each shoulder.  
  
"Thanks to your inefficiency, your time limit has just been increased by fifteen minutes. I advise you get moving."  
  
"Huh?" Dai asked eloquently.  
  
" Zach is on his way here. He's figured out who you really are and he's ready to say the words to break the curse. Except that you, of course, were so bloody slow that he didn't have time to do it. And since you managed a kiss and the emotion, you got fifteen...make that fourteen minutes to get him to say it. Now get your arse out there and meet him halfway so I can get to mah next job."  
  
Dai blinked, stared, then jumped up, running out the door like a bat out of...um.batting practice .With twin flying leaps, Zen landed on one shoulder and Tak on the other, both holding on for dear life.  
  
"What are you doing?!"  
  
"This is our future too, Dai!" Tak growled. "We're not gonna let you screw it up!! If you don't get there and say what needs to be said-I will make your life a LIVING HELL!!"  
  
Dai' sweat dropped and pulled the two of them down into her arms, running faster.  
  
They rounded a corner at the same time and very nearly ran into each other, both gasping for air. "St-Dai!" Zach managed. "Man, you-"  
  
"I--*huff*--I need y--*whew!*-- I--ouch!! Dammit! Tak!!" Dai glared down at the ferrets in her hands. Tak had bitten her!  
  
"Tak?" Zach asked. He peered at what Dai was holding and suddenly did a bizarre little hop. "I was right! You are my ferret!"  
  
Dai sighed. "Stars, please don't call me that!"  
  
"TWO MINUTES DAI!!" came Tak's irate voice. All Zach heard was a loud, high- pitched and very angry chirping.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Zach asked, having regained most of his breath. He leaned forward but Dai snatched her hands back, balancing both of her friends in one hand.  
  
" Zach! I need to know--do you love me?!"  
  
Zach stared at her, mouth hanging open. "Wha-what-?!"  
  
Dai grabbed Zach's shoulder with her free hand, pulling him closer. "My name is Dai...these are my friends Tak and Zen-"  
  
*Chirp* said the chestnut ferret.  
  
"Tak says hello. Anyway, over a hundred years ago the three of us were cursed to take the forms of ferrets for five hundred years. The only way to break the curse was if *I* could get the person I was in love with to fall in love with me. I love you. So I need to know, Z. You. Love. Me?"  
  
Zach made a small, confused sound. "Aren't you supposed to get turned into frogs or something-?"  
  
"Zach!"  
  
"THIRTY-TWO SECONDS!"  
  
"Z, please, I'm begging you. Do you love me? At all?"  
  
Zach frowned. "Are you asking me because you need the curse broken?"  
  
"I am asking you because I bloody LOVE YOU, Zach!" Dai cried, exasperated, and kissed the boy hard.  
  
........  
  
...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
"Dai! You'd better come up for air in the next twelve seconds or I'm selling you for a mink stole!" Tak screamed. (Oi! Being a ferret for a hundred years could stress anyone out!)  
  
Dai pulled away,--  
  
"Ten," Zen said calmly.  
  
--shook a dazed Zach, --  
  
"Nine."  
  
--took a deep breath--  
  
"Eight."  
  
--and asked--  
  
"Seven."  
  
"Z, I need to know,"  
  
"Six."  
  
"Do you love me?"  
  
"Five."  
  
Zach paused, blinking.  
  
"Four."  
  
Tak dug her claws into Dai's arm.  
  
"Three."  
  
"Well, Stone,"  
  
"Two."  
  
"Yeah, I love you."  
  
"One."  
  
*POOF*  
  
Quite suddenly, Dai had her arms full of two very human teenagers. Understandably, Dai fall down, right on her nice little behind. Zen rolled one way and Tak another in a wild array of limbs. Zen recovered his balance with his age-old grace, turned, and was suddenly presented with a double armful of Tak. "ZEN!"  
  
"Um.Tak..." Zen started, a blush rushing up his face, turning the calm and collected boy a fascinating shade of fire-engine red.  
  
"MURDOC! CLOTHES!" Dai bellowed, shaking her fist in the air.  
  
"Oh," came an unmistakably nasal, disembodied voice. "I forgot."  
  
*poof* *sparkle*  
  
Tak turned as red as Zen and the girl planted a big wet one on the albino boy's face as nice, black clothes covered up their.er...natural assets.  
  
"Zen.I am so happy to see you human," Tak said happily, practically purring.  
  
"Likewise."  
  
Zach stared. He blinked. He rubbed his eyes. Finally, he leaned against Dai and said, "Love?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"We've got to talk."  
  
Dai glanced across at the happily returned to human forms Tak and Zen, up at the fairy godperson dusting off a last bit of silver sparkle from his loincloth as he hovered in the air above them on gossamer wings, and then down at her 'love'.  
  
"That we do," she said agreeably, "but later."  
  
And then she kissed Zach's breath away. 


End file.
